Tire



March 7, 1944. v. J.- GIUSEFFI TIRE Filed Aug. 5, 1942 INVENTOR Vincen'lJ'I G-l'llseffi BY a 14 Baum, ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 7, 1944 I UNITEDSTATES OFFICE 1 1,343,660

I Vincent .J. Giusefii, West Orange, N. J. Application August 3, 1942,'SerialNo. 453,365 I 2 Claims. (Cl. 152 -293) I This invention relatesto tires and more particularly to novel tires for vehicles such asautomobiles or the like.

Themain purpose of the presentinvention is toprovide a novel tire whichmay be -made up of a number of inexpensive interchangeable units andwhich requires only a small quantity of resilient and easilyreplaceablematerial as its wearing surface. Other objects and advantagesof the invention will be readily apparent from the following descriptionand drawing, wherein;

Figure l is a View in front elevation of an automobile wheel embodyingmy invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of one of the sections embodying myinvention and illustrating the novel manner in which it is secured tothe rim of a wheel.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional viewv of the outer treadcovering.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the manner of assembly.

As shown in the drawing, there is a wheel I including a rim II which maybe fixedly or demountably secured thereto. The rim I I has a number ofsets of openings therein. As shown, each set of openings consists ofthree openings I2, I3 and I4, with the opening I3 being on thecircumferential center line of the rim I I. In line with opening I3, onthe line at right angles to said circumferential center line and equallyspaced from opening l3 are the openings I2 and I4. These sets ofopenings I2, I3 and I4 are equally spaced from each other and aredisposed around the circumference of said rim I I Mounted on the rim IIare a plurality of collars or bands I5 of the desired thickness andcomposed preferably of a spring metal, such as spring steel. Each of thecollars I5 is preferably a section of a hollow annular body whose sidesare defined by a pair of radial planes through the center point of theannular body. The sections I5 are identical in all respects, with thesides thereof converging towards the bottom. Each section I5 has aplurality of narrow slots 9 in predetermined positions therein. Eachsection I5 has a pair of short cylindrical lugs I6 and I1 welded or insome other manner secured there to. These lugs I6 and I! are disposeddiametrically opposite each other, with the lug I6 being smaller thanthe lug IT. The lug I6 is located on that portion of section I5 which isof narrowest widthwise dimension and the lug I1 is located on thatportion of section I5 which is of greatest widthwise dimension. Acompression spring I8 is located in section I5 and has its ends weldedto the lugs 16 and ll. be of. the spirally coiledtype'and that its coils"be of gradually decreasingdiameter from the-lug IT to the lug I6.Secured'to each section I5 at the place of its narrowest dimension andatthe center thereof is a short pin I9 which depends there from and isadapted to fit snugly into said open,- ing I3. The pin' IQ- is'in linewith the lon'gitudinal center line ofthe *spring I-9. An opening 20 islocated on-either side' of said pin-=I'9-a nd secured to said section I5and extending inwardly thereof isa boss 2| having a threaded openingcommunicating with said opening 20. When a section I5 is mounted on therim II, with the pin I9 fitting into the opening I3, the openings 20will be in alignment with the openings I2 and I4.

The entire outer face of each section I5 may be covered with awear-resistant covering 22 such as leather or the like. The covering 22may be secured to the section I5 by means of rivets not shown. When theentire outer face of section 22 is covered, it has an appropriateopening through which extends pin I9 and also openings in alignment withopenings 20. The covering 22 need not necessarily cover the entire outerface of collar I5, its ends may terminate at such places thereonthatwhen the collar is mounted on the rim I I, its ends will be adjacentthe edges of the rim I I.

The sections or collars I5 may be mounted on the rim II, in side edgeabutting relationship to form a complete annulus as shown in Figure 1.The unitary elements shown in Figure 2 are handled'individually and areplaced one after another on rim II. The method of assembly involvesplacing a collar unit as shown in Figure 2 on the rim, with the pin I9located in an opening I3 and pivoting the same on pin I9 until theopenings 20 are in alignment with openings I2 and I4. Then bolts 24extend through openings I2 and I4 and make threaded engagement withbosses 2I. These bolts 24 are tightened against the sides of rim I I.

A wear-resistant strip 25 of rubber or the like may be placed over aportion of the leather covering 22. Secured to the strip 26 anddepending therefrom are a pluralit of metal or rubber locking devices21, which may be in th form of inverted Ts.

One end of strip 26 is placed over the mounted I prefer'th'at spring I 8ting relation to the already mounted collar I5, the shank of the T's arenow located in the openings defined by adjacent slots and the cross ofeach T bears against the inner faces 01' the two collars. This collar isnow bolted to the rim as was the first collar. This general procedure isfollowed until the entire rim I I is completely covered with the collarsI 5 as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4, with each of the springs l8 being sodisposed as to have its, longitudinal center line on a radius 01 thewheel. y

In this construction, after the wear-resistant member 26 has worn out,it may be readily re placed, by demounting the collars from the rim l I,removing the worn out member 26 therefrom and then the collars l5 arereassembled on the rim with a new element 26.

This invention is not to be limitedto the exact details of constructionherein described because said description is merely by way ofillustration and not by way oflimitation, it being apparent that variousmodifications and changes may be made within the scope of saidinvention, one of which may be the employment of a number of separatestrips 26 instead of the single strip shown. 1

Iclaim: p y a 1. In the combination witha wheel including a rim of aplurality of closed spring metal collars, each collar being a section ofan annular hollow tube, with the sides of each section being on theradius through the center or the tube, each section having a pluralityof slots through each edge thereof, a pair of lugs secured to saidcollar and diametrically disposed with respect to each other, acompression coiled spring in said collar, the ends of said springsecured to said lugs, bolts extending through openings in said rim andsecuring said collars to said rim, a rubber tread element mounted onsaid collars, locking means extending from said tread element andthrough said slots.

2. In combination with a wheel including a rim of a plurality of closedresilient metal collars, each collar being a section or an annularhollow tube, with the sides of each section being on the radius throughthe center of the tube, each section having a plurality of slots througheach edge thereof, a pair of lugs secured to each of said collars andsubstantially diametrically opposed with respect to each other,acompression coiled spring in each of said collars, the ends of saidsprings surrounding said lugs, means extending through openings in saidrim and securing said collars to said rim, a wear resistant treadelement mounted-on said collars, locking means extending from said treadelement and through said slots.

VIN CENT J. GIUSEFFI.

